Nostalgic geeks join slow-tech movement

About a dozen people are working on Teefax, including a man who wants to provide live meteorological data from his own weather station

Teletext is not dead yet. A gaggle of software engineers, digital artists and other devotees are attempting to resurrect the bright colours and blocky fonts of the defunct TV information service.

They have created Teefax, an experimental system that appears identical to BBC Ceefax and other historical teletext services. About a dozen people are working on Teefax, including a man who wants to provide live meteorological data from his own weather station.

The BBC launched Ceefax, the world’s first public teletext service, in 1974. Oracle was launched on ITV and later on Channel 4. In 1992 it was taken over by Teletext Ltd, which still provides holidays and car sales services. Viewers came to rely on it for football results, weather information, subtitles and programme…